Avatars and Horses…

The Greek Myth of Odysseus and the Trojan Horse, Greek Boston Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democracy, Existentialism, Fascism Avatar (n) – an electronic image (as in a video game) that represents and may be manipulated by a computer user; the incarnation of a Hindu deity (such as Vishnu); an incarnation in human form; an embodiment (asContinue reading “Avatars and Horses…”

It’s On Us…

― Gaylord Nelson, former Republican Governor and Senator of Wisconsin, Founder of Earth Day, April 20, 1970, which led to the formation of the U.S. EPA, December 2, 1970. Image: Nelson Institute of Environmental Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Climate Change, Democracy, Existentialism, Fascism Robert Mueller was the subject of Internet memesContinue reading “It’s On Us…”

Origin…

Image source: Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures – Isabel Wilkerson, Livestream (2022) Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Climate Change, Existentialism, Fascism “While I was at the hotel today, an elderly gentleman called upon me to know whether I was really in favor of producing a perfect equality between the negroes and white people. [Great Laughter.] WhileContinue reading “Origin…”

Bedlam, Swatting, Terrorism…

Image source: CSO online – Swatting Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Climate Change, Existentialism, Fascism, Star Trek Bedlam is a scene of madness, chaos, or great confusion. The term bedlam comes from the name of a hospital in London, “Saint Mary of Bethlehem,” which was devoted to treating the mentally ill in the 1400s. Over time, the pronunciation ofContinue reading “Bedlam, Swatting, Terrorism…”

Curated, Created Realities…

Image source: Facebook meme Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Climate Change, Democracy, Existentialism, Fascism What is lost in the above Facebook meme: 5:00 – 5:30 pm was typically your local news. 6:00 – 6:30 pm, before “Bewitched,” was your international news, the Walter Cronkites, Mike Wallaces, and Harry Reasoner’s time to scare the living crapContinue reading “Curated, Created Realities…”

Births, Stats, Mathematics…

Source: Brookings Institution Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democracy, Existentialism, Fascism Cate Cox and Brittany Watts: Their last names rhyme, but their circumstances couldn’t be more diametrically different from one another. Cate Cox is a married suburban mother with two children. She previously lived in a suburb of Dallas, Texas, but due to her condition,Continue reading “Births, Stats, Mathematics…”

The Red Road…

Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democracy, Existentialism, Fascism I can hear an irritated counterthrust already. The president has not driven the United States into a recession during his almost seven years in office. Unemployment stands at a respectable 4.6 percent. Well, fine. But the other side of the ledger groans with distress: a tax codeContinue reading “The Red Road…”

Power and Resources…

French economist Thomas Piketty compares the US economy to Europe in the Gilded Age. Oregon Live, 2014 Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Climate Change, Democracy, Existentialism, Fascism Thomas Piketty wrote “Capital in the 21st Century” in 2013 centered on the wealth inequality we can see all around us. I can see more house-less citizens onContinue reading “Power and Resources…”

Pattern Recognition…

“Last Battlefield,” 47 years later, StarTrek.com, January 10, 2016 Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Existentialism, Fascism, Human Rights, Star Trek The Cleve Cartmill affair, source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadline_(science_fiction_story) I admit I had heard of this before, but I didn’t know the government gave it his name. It figures because Cleve was clever (see what I did there?)Continue reading “Pattern Recognition…”

Cloth Diapers…

Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democracy, Existentialism, Fascism This essay is derived from a creative work of the same title, posted on my poetry blog Monday. Happy birthday, mom. I miss you. Sixty years ago, you were thirty-eight years old. I was one year, one month, and one day old. I was apparently potty-trained, whichContinue reading “Cloth Diapers…”